LAUREN FLANS

I once described my three-plus years at Boom as “an amazing roller coaster that I was not always tall enough to ride.” For the most part, I had the time of my life! I learned early on that I had a proficiency at Yo, and can draw a very direct line from that to getting cast on Wild ‘N Out a few years after I’d moved back to L.A. This was an incredible full-circle moment, because I used to watch old episodes of Wild ‘N Out in my shitty Dutch apartment and be like “I want to do THAT!” I did three seasons of that show, and then left to be on Season 2 of Comedy Central’s Another Period, which was *another* dream job of mine! 

After the 2016 election (which went poorly!), I started volunteering at the L.A. LGBT Center, and a while after that I started a coming out podcast called “Coming Out with Lauren & Nicole” that I’m still doing. It’s probably the thing I’m most proud of creating, and I recently found out that The Trevor Project recommends us as a resource! Speaking of gay shit, in the early days of YouTube, I shot a video at Amsterdam Pride with Matt Chapman that ended up going viral. As a result, when Boom started doing CCN on Comedy Central Netherlands, I was given a Mon.-Thurs. segment called “Flans on the Street” where I went to different events, locations, etc. and just, like, talked to people and did bits. Chapman and I went all over Holland together, and had A GODDAMNED BLAST!! We were given almost full creative control over the segments, and I’m so proud of all the funny shit we made! We spent *hours* at his apartment editing late into the night to meet deadlines, and would order sushi and charge it to Boom until Pep and Andrew were like “You guys gotta stop ordering so much sushi; it’s really expensive.” 

Also, because I was regularly on Dutch TV, sometimes people would stop me on the street to ask for my autograph, which made me feel VERY COOL! My “Flans on the Street” time was definitely one of the highlights of my years in Amsterdam, but honestly it was all pretty fantastic. At the end of the day, Boom was hands-down one of the greatest experiences of my life. I fell in love! I got mono! I did ecstasy, but never more than once every three weeks, because I read somewhere that that’s how long it takes to leave your system! I am forever changed, and forever grateful. That being said, the weather in Holland is fucking inexcusable.

Years Active at Boom

2005-2008

Boom Chicago Show Credits

Bite the Bullet! (2005)

Me MySpace and iPod (2006)

Boom Chicago’s Wild West Comedy and Gun Show—Featuring One Real Indian (2007)

Last One to Leave the Planet, Turn Out the Lights (2008)

Screw the Planet; Save the Oil / Best of Boom (2008-9)

Boom Chicago’s 25th Anniversary Show at Carre (2018)